Combination regulated mute



July 23, 1929. F. A. BERG 1,721,764

COMBINATION REGULA'I'ED MUTE Filed Feb. 4, 1926 ha f ZZZ; Healer/ck BergMme, fiZdf/Zff Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK A. BERG,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION REGULATED MUTE.

Application filed February My invention pertains to combinationregulated mute, and the main object of the invention is to provide amute comprising a shell or body of glass or other vitreous material togive a clear sonorous tone; and another object is to construct and shapesaid body for containing liquid and to provide gage means thereon forgaging the liquid, so as to properly modify the tone effect of the muteand also to adapt the mute to suit various sized instruments; a furtherobject is to provide said mute with a port at the outlet end and withplunger means therein to be used. alone or to co-operate with the liquidin the mate to modify the tone effect thereof; and I another object isto provide curved spring means for holding the mute in posi tion in windinstrun'ients of various sizes. Other objects and advantages areattained with. my invention, as will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing .my invention in the form of a mutefor a cornet or similar horn instrument; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View showing my invention in the form of a muteparticularly adapted for a saxophone.

The particular form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawingcomprises a tubular and substantially conical shell or body member 5having an air or sound receiv- 7 ing opening 6 at the inner or smallerend, while its opposite or larger end is substantially closed,preferably by an outwardly curved or bulb-like portion 7 whichterminates in a tubular sleeve or neck 8 providing a suitable outletopening or port for the direct outlet of part of the sound waves, ifdesired. A plunger or member 9 is slidably mounted in this sleeve 8 andadapted to entirely close the outlet port, and said plunger is movableinto the body to modify the tone effectof the mute and is gaged ormarked with numbers so that it may be adjusted or set in the properposition in said sleeve to provide the desired pitch or tone effect.This plunger may be made of cork or any other suitable material.

The body of the mute is made of vitreous material, preferably glass,which. it has been found produces a clear and sonorous tone and at thesame time provides the desired modilied and subdued tone.

The body is constructed to provide a reser- 4, 1926. Serial N0. 85,906.

voir for containing liquid 10, to modify and subdue the tone ett'ect.This liquid may be water, alcohol, oil, or a similar substance. In orderto observe the volume of liquid in the body of the mute said body or apart thereof is made of glass or transparent bakelite, celluloid or thelike, and along this transparent reservoir or part a gage or graduatedmeans 11 is provided for indicating and determining the amount of liquidto be used. By increasing the amount of liquid 10, and likewise bymoving the plunger 9 further into the body 5, the interior space andcapacity of the body is decreased and is less subduing and modifying inits tone effect, and therefore more volume of sound emanates directlyfrom the wind instrument with which this mute is used. This regulatedmute is thus at once adapted for use with either a large or a small windinstrument, and by regulating the mute, the associated instrun'ient maythus be regulated to synchronize it with the other instruments whether alarger or smaller number of instruments are playing at the same time.

The mute is particularly shaped to suit the inner contour of theinstrument with which it is used, and the means for holding this mute inposition in the bell 12 of the instrument comprises curved resilientmembers, which are preferably made each from a curved strip of springmetal. 13 with a strip of compressible and frictional material 14s, suchas rubber, cork or raw-hide, fastened on the outer side thereof. Each ofthese members is mounted in a pair of holes or openings 15 provided inthe side of the body 5, to be tfrictionally held in the openings, and tobe slidable therein. These resilient slid able members thus adapt themute to be properly supported and retained in instruments of varioussizes.

The form of invention shown in Fig. 2 is more particularly constructedand arranged for use with a saxophone, and this form also comprises atubular or somewhat conical shaped shell or body member having an air orsound receiving opening 26 at its smaller end. formed by an inwardlyextending or inverted conical part or throat 26, while its opposite orouter end is substantially closed by an inwardly curved or concaveportion 27 which terminates in a tubular sleeve or neck 28 providing asuitable outlet portfor the passage of part of the sound waves.

A plunger or member 29 is slidably mounted in this sleeve 28, forentirely closing the outlet port, and is movable into the body to modifythe tone effect. The plunger is also gaged or numbered so that it may beadjusted in the proper position in the sleeve in order to produce thedesired pitch or tone effect with the mute, and this plunger is made ofcork or other suitable material.

The body in this form of invention, like in the preceding form, is madeof vitreous material, preferably glass, to provide a clear and sonoroustone effect, and also a modified or subdued one.

The body of the mute is constructed and arranged for containing liquid30, and this is particularly done by extending the neck 26 inwardly asshown. In order to observe the volume of liquid used, the body is madeof glass or other suitable transparent material, as in the precedingform, and is provided with a gage or graduated means 31 at the smallerend, or over the reservoir formed by the inverted neck 26. The increaseand decrease of water used in this form, and the adj usting of themember 29, modifies the tone effect of this mute, in the mannerdescribed above.

This mute is shaped to suit the inner contour of the bell 32' of asaxophone, and is provided with curved resilient members, which arepreferably made of curved strips of spring metal 33 on which arefastened strips of compressible and frictional mate rial 34, forresiliently and movably retaining these members in the opening 35provided in the body 25 of the mute. These members and their manner ofmounting in the body 25 V adapts the mute to be mounted in saxophones ofvarious sizes.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mute comprising a body of vitreous material constructed to fit thebell of a wind instrument and having an opening ateach end, adapted totransmit air through the body, and means for closing the'outer openingand adjustable therein.

2. A mute comprising a body of transparent vitreous material concavedlongitudinally on the exterior and rounded at the larger end to fit thebell of a wind instrument and to contain liquid visible throughsaidmaterial.

3. A mute comprising a body of vitreous material having a soundreceiving opening at one end and a neck extending outwardly from anoutlet opening at the opposite end.

4. A mute comprising a body of transparent material having a soundreceiving opening at one end and a sleeve surrounding an outlet openingat the opposite end for the exit of sound, and means readily removablefrom and slidable in said sleeve and into said body for closing theoutlet openings and also to modify the tone effect.

5. A mute, comprising a body of vitreous material, having a soundreceiving opening at one end and a sleeve surrounding an outlet openingat the opposite end, and means for closing the outlet opening and to bemovable into the body of the mute to modify the tone effect.

6. A mute, comprising a body, having a sound receiving opening at oneend and having the walls of the other end contracted and provided with asleeve forming a vent port, and means slidably mounted in said sleevefor closing the same and also to be moved into the body to modify thetone effect of the mute.

7. A mute, comprising a substantially conical body open at the smallerend, the larger end being curved inwardly and closed and provided with asleeve forming an outlet port, and calibrated plunger means slidablymounted in said flange and movable into the mute for enlarging ordiminishing the volume of the mute.

8. A mute, comprising a transparent, liquid-containing body,calibrations upon the body to indicate the volume of liquid containedtherein, the volume of the liquid adapted to vary the sound modifyingeffect of the mute.

9. A mute, comprising a liquid containing transparent body, adapted tofit in the bell of a wind instrument, and calibrations on the said bodyfor determining the amount of liquid contained therein.

10. A mute comprising a conical transparent body constructed to containliquid and having an air entrance at the smaller end, the larger endbeing curved and having a vent port, means for closing said port, andgage means on said body for gaging the volume of liquidused in said muteto provide the desired pitch.

11. A mute comprising a tubular body having holes in its side wall, andcurved spring members movably mounted in said holes and yieldably andfrictionally engaging the wall of the wind instrument.

12. A mute comprising a tubular body having holes in its side wall, andcurved spring members movably mounted in said holes and havingfrictional cushioning material thereon for engaging the wall of theinstrument.

13. A mute comprising a tubular body having pairs of holes in its sidewall and a curved spring member arranged to slidably and frictionallymove in each pair of holes for yieldably retaining the mute in a windinstrument.

14. A mute comprising a tubular body having pairs of holes in its sidewall, and a curved spring member with yieldable frictional materialfastened along its outer side and being frictionally movable in eachpair of holes.

15. A mute comprising a vitreous conical body open at the smaller endand having means for closing the larger end, said body having pairs ofopenings in its side Wall, a strip of spring metal with frictionalmaterial mounted in each pair of openings and movable therein formounting the mute in a Wind instrument.

16. A combination regulated mute com prising a body of transparentmaterial constructed to contain liquid and having gage means on saidtransparent material to gage the amount of liquid, one end of said mutebeing open to receive sound and the other end having a vent port with amember slidably mounted therein to close said port and being movableinto said body to co-operate with the liquid for modifying the toneeffect of the mute.

17. A mute comprising a conical body of transparent vitreous materialhaving the small end open, the larger end being formed bulb-like andhaving a flanged opening therein, gage means along said larger end toindicate the amount of liquid used in said body, and means for closingsaid flanged opening and being movable into the body to co-operate withthe amount of liquid used in modifying the tone effect.

18. A mute comprising a conical body of transparent having the smallerend open, the larger end being bulbshaped and terminating in a flangedopening forming an outlet port, gage means provided along said largerend to indicate the amount of liquid used in said body, gaged means forclosing said flanged opening and being movable into the body toco-operate with the liquid in modifying the tone effect, and curvedspring means mounted in openings in said body for mounting said mute inwind instruments of various sizes.

19. A mute comprising a conical shaped body of transparent vitreousmaterial having an inwardly extending tubular portion at the smaller endand being constructed to contain liquid at said smaller end, and gagemeans provided along said smaller end to indicate the amount of liquidused in said body.

20. A mute comprising a conical shaped transparent body having aninverted conical portion at the smaller end constructed to containliquid at said end, gage means on said body along said smaller end toindicate the amount of liquid used, a vent port at the larger end ofsaid mute, and means for 010s ing said larger end and being movable intothe body to modify the tone eflfect.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK A. BERG.

